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Europe Tunes In to Its Own Country Music Scene

After years of importing country artists from the U.S., Europe is finally listening to home-grown music

By

Ginanne Brownell

Updated Aug. 11, 2014 1:22 p.m. ET

The Common Linnets were the surprise hit of this year's Eurovision song contest, a competition usually swept by pop tunes. With viewers from all over Europe texting and phoning to cast their vote, Dutch country artists Ilse DeLange and Waylon brought the house down and came in second with "Calm After the Storm." Their duet, with its slide guitars and heart-tugging harmonies, has since become a top-10 hit across the continent, and the band is in negotiations with a major U.S. country-music label. "In Europe, when you say you do country music, it used to not be cool," says Ms. DeLange, who sports...